Life Bites
by lilynicole1313
Summary: Sent to investigate a spike in missing persons' cases around Portland, Eleanor Winchester has NO idea what she's getting herself-and her family- into. Starting in Season 1.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys! I've had this story in my head for a while. In between work and life, I haven't had a chance until now to upload anything, though. I, of course, own nothing but my plot and my OCs. Read, review, and enjoy!

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Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot

 _November 02, 1983_

 _"Come on, let's say good night to your brother." Mary Winchester carried one of her three children into her youngest's nursery, setting a four-year-old Dean down. He rushed over to his baby brother's crib. "Good night Sam."_

 _Dean's twin, Eleanor, ran past Mary, her dirty blonde pigtails streaming behind her. "Night, Sammy!"_

 _"Good night love." Mary kissed his forehead._

 _"Hey, Dean. Hey, Ellie."_

 _"Daddy!"_

 _John Winchester picked them both up, pressing a soft kiss on Mary's lips. "So, what do you think? You think Sammy's ready to toss around a football?"_

 _"No, Daddy." Dean giggled, shaking his head._

 _"I am." Eleanor said, happily resting her head on his shoulders._

 _"You know what, you are." He kissed his daughter's forehead. "How's tomorrow sound?"_

 _"You got them?" Mary asked, ruffling her oldest son's hair._

 _"I got them. Sweet dreams, Sam."_

October 31, 2005

Eleanor Winchester sat cross-legged on the edge of one of the hotel beds, frowning at the laptop. "That EVP on the voicemail said 'I can never go home!" She called loudly, hoping her brother could hear her over the shower. "Are you sure Dad's in Jericho still?"

Dean cracked the door open, still wet. "Get our stuff then. We're going to Stanford."

"Dude, we've talked about this. Sam wanted out."

"Dad's missing. Sam needs to help us find him."

Eleanor groaned. "Whatever."

A few short hours later, Dean pulled their dad's Impala outside a campus apartment complex. "Isn't that his?"

"Yeah." She checked the address on her phone once more. "Just knock like a normal person." She remarked as he shut the driver's door.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand dismissively, and Eleanor settled back in the passenger seat, sending a text to her dad for the tenth time that week.

She heard a sound around by the side of the building and she huffed. "Freaking idiot. Sam's not gonna be happy."

A few minutes later, she caught their voices getting closer. "-still haven't found the damn thing."

"And save a lot of people doing it, too." Dean interjected.

Sam scoffed. "You think Mom would have wanted this for us? The weapon training? Melting the silver into bullets? Man, Dean, we were raised like warriors."

"So, what are you gonna do? You just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?"

"No. Not normal. Safe."

"And that's why you ran away." Dean scoffed, shaking his head.

"I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go, I should stay gone. And that's what I'm doing." Sam defended himself, completely oblivious to Eleanor in the front seat of the Impala.

"Yeah, well, Dad's in real trouble right now, if he's not dead already. I can feel it. We can't do this alone."

"Yes, you can."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to."

"Hey Sammy." Eleanor popped her head out of the window.

"Hey, Ellie." Sam half smiled at his older sister. "What was he hunting?"

Dean led Sam to the back of the car, popping the trunk to let Sam listen to the voicemail from yesterday. She caught Sam going back down the stairs and Dean slid back in the car. "He's in."

"Oh boy." She couldn't help the grin on her face. She climbed over the seat, stretching out in the backseat. "Just like old times, huh?"

Sam hopped in after tossing his duffel bag in the trunk. "Alright, Dean. Let's go."

Dean cranked up the AC/DC cassette tape and drove off, with he and Eleanor singing at the top of their lungs.

Early the next morning, Dean pulled into an old gas station to fill the car up. Eleanor and Dean hopped out, leaving Sam alone for a few minutes. "Hey, you want breakfast?" Dean asked, a roll of life-savers in his mouth.

"No thanks. So, how'd you pay for that stuff? You and Dad still running credit card scams?"

"Yeah well, hunting ain't exactly a pro-ball career. Besides, all we do is apply. It's not our fault they send us the cards."

"Don't sweat it, Sam. I paid for the food." Eleanor passed him a bag of doughnut holes and a Coke, climbing back in the car.

"Yeah? And what names did you write on the application this time?"

"Uh, Bert Aframian and his son Hector." Dean replied, closing the driver door. "Scored two cards out of the deal."

"Sounds about right. At least Ellie can make an honest buck." He scoffed. "I swear, man, you've gotta update your cassette collection."

"Why?"

"Well, for one, they're cassettes."

"House rules, Sammy, driver picks the music. Shotgun shuts his cakehole."

A few minutes later, Dean slowed down. "Check it out."

A single car, doors wide open, was parked across the center lane on a bridge. Police cars and police surrounded the car, searching for something. "Let's go." Dean grabbed two badges from the glovebox in the car, passing one back to Eleanor.

The three siblings walked up to the car, overhearing part of a conversation. "This kid, Troy, he's dating your daughter?"

"Yeah."

"How's Amy doin'?"

"She's putting up missing posters downtown."

Dean glanced at Sam, mouthing _watch this_. "You fellas had another one like this just last month, didn't you?"

One of the policemen turned around, staring at Dean. "Who are you?"

"Federal Marshalls." Dean and Eleanor flashed their badges, pocketing them quickly.

While her brothers were questioning the cops, Eleanor walked off, peering off the side of the bridge. There seemed to be no sign of the missing man. She edged around the group, looking for anything to tell what might have happened to him.

When they made it back to the car without getting arrested, Eleanor spoke up. "You two follow up with Amy and see what she cant tell you, and I'll grab us a room."

"Bossy, much?" Dean frowned.

"Seven and a half minutes older, thank you very much." She smirked.

"Whatever."

Dean dropped her off, and she slung her duffel bag over her shoulder, marching up to the motel office. "Hi. One room please."

"Single or double?"

"Double." She handed him her credit card, getting back a set of keys. "Thanks."

"Check out time's noon."

She nodded, exiting the office, and entering the motel room. Her phone rang just as she locked the door. "What?"

"Sammy and I found something out. We'll be in late tonight."

"Alright. It's room 74 in that motel you spotted earlier."

"Thanks, El."

"Yeah, yeah."

She fell asleep, her fingers clutched around her phone. Sometime later, she felt someone shake her arm. "Ellie, Dad had a room here for the whole month. Come on."

She followed Sam to the next door down, and walked in. "Damn." She whistled. Newspaper clippings, missing persons reports, and handwritten notes covered the walls. Most were related to the case he'd been working, but there was one that seemed out of place. "Cambion?" She muttered, moving closer to the wall to read it. "What is he after?"

A pungent smell reached her nose and she wrinkled it, turning around. "What'd you do, bathe in a toilet?"

"Funny." Dean snapped, sniffing a half-eaten burger on the night stand. "I don't think he's been here for a couple days, at least."

"Salt? Cat's eye shells? He was worried, trying to keep something from coming in." Sam joined Dean by the wall. "What do you got over here?"

"Cenntenial Highway victims. I don't get it. I mean, they're different men, different ages, ethnicites, all that. What's the connection?"

Eleanor paused at an article about a young woman named Constance Welch. "She's a Woman in White. Dad figured it out, but he would've burnt her corpse."

"Alright. Sammy, go find an address. I'm gonna get cleaned up."

Dean came out of the bathroom, clean once again. "Hey, man, I'm starving. I'm gonna grab a little something to eat in that diner down the street. You want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good." Eleanor declined.

"No." Sam followed suit, staring at his phone.

"Aframian's buying." Dean shook his credit card at the two, but they both still shook their heads.

Eleanor reclined on the bed, her eyes closed for a few minutes. "So come home soon, okay? I love you." She heard a woman's voice say on her brother's phone before another call beeped through.

"What?" Sam asked, sounding irritated.

Eleanor sat up, just in case they needed to leave. "Dude, five-oh. Take off." Dean's voice came through the phone.

"What about you?"

"Uh, they kinda spotted me. Go find Dad."

Sam closed his flip phone and glanced at his sister. "You go. I'll stay."

"Sam, go. I'm covered."

He slipped out of the room and she fell on the bed just before two officers barged in, looking around the room. "Ma'am? Ma'am?"

She sat up groggily, rubbing her head as if she'd been knocked out. "W-what's going on, officers?"

"Step outside, ma'am, hands where I can see them." Eleanor complied, swaying slightly for effect. She squinted in the bright sunlight, still rubbing her temple. "Can you tell us what you were doing inside?"

"I-" She frowned, as if she was trying to remember. "I was looking for this guy – a suspect of ours, and I think this is his room." Eleanor paused. "He was using an alias, and I was looking for anything to tie him to these missing persons reports that keep piling up."

"Your name?"

"Casey Page, CSBI." She flipped her badge open, letting them glimpse it. "I'm guessing one of the guys in there caught me snooping." She handed the closest officer her card.

"Well, Agent Page, we have one in custody. Do you wanna get your head looked at?"

"No, thank you. Couple of aspirin and I'll be alright. I'm going to see if I can get a lead on the other one."

"Can you give us a description before you leave?"

"Yeah. He's tall, a little over 6', shaggy brown hair, young, maybe early twenties, hazel eyes."

"Thanks, Agent."

She carefully walked to the Impala, driving to the local grocery store. Eleanor flipped her phone open and dialed Sam's number. "Hey." She said as soon as he answered. "Where are you?"

"Joseph Welsh's house. I'm going to see if he knows where his late wife was buried."

"Okay, you do that. I'll try to get Dean out of the station."

"Good luck."

She took a deep breath, trying to think. She drummed on the steering wheel, glancing around the parking lot when she saw a police car. An unoccupied police car with the windows down. She scanned the area, and after not seeing any cops in the area, she hurried over to the car.

She hoisted her small, lithe frame through the window and grabbed the radio. Clearing her throat, she began to speak, almost perfectly imitating one of the cops from the hotel. "Dispatch, this is Officer Keefe. Over."

"What's the problem, Officer?"

She smiled to herself. This was too easy. "I-I honestly can't say. Send everyone you've got. I've never seen anything like this."

"Anything like what?"

"I don't-" She paused, doing a glass breaking sound effect, followed by a gun. "Hurry!"

She wiggled back out of the car and headed to the police station. Dean was waiting by the back door, rubbing his wrists. "Freaking cuffs. Thanks."

"No problem." Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down, seeing an address from Sam. "Let's go gank this mother."

Later that night, the siblings sat down at a diner in Palo Alto before Dean had to leave Sam at Stanford. "It didn't look like he'd been there in at least a week, Dean." She said, carefully broaching the subject.

"Yeah, well, maybe this will help." He placed a thick leather journal, nearly bursting with papers and notes stuffed inside, on the table. "I snatched it from the cops, and Dad left coordinates. Black Water Ridge, Colorado."

"You think he's there?" Sam asked, poking his salad with his fork.

"More than likely, and if he's not, he wants us to go."

"Dean, I have an interview with Stanford tomorrow morning."

"I know, Sam. Safe life and all that." Dean rolled his eyes, leveling his gaze on Eleanor. "What do you think, El?"

"I think it's worth checking out."

"Guys, we should go. Jess is waiting for me."

Eleanor laid two twenties on the table, following her brothers to their dad's Impala. "Love you, Sam." She hugged him tightly. "Keep in touch."

"Be careful, sis." He kissed her cheek. "Love you, too."

They made it a few miles out of Palo Alto, headed to Colorado, when Eleanor told Dean to stop. "Something's not right, D."

He cocked an eyebrow, nodding slowly. "Yeah."

He pulled a U-turn, speeding back to Sam's apartment. Flames poured out of the window. Dean threw the car in park and ran inside.

He and Sam stumbled out as the firefighters arrived. "What the-"

Dean shook his head, and Sam tossed his duffel bag in the trunk once more. "We got work to do." He said quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

Season 1, Episode 2: Wendigo

"You're bailing to do what?"

"Dean, I'm buying that car."

"But-"

"I'll meet up with you and Sam, okay?"

"Just...be careful."

"Dude, I'm meeting up with Bobby. Relax." She glanced at Sam over Dean's shoulder. "Keep an eye out for him, would you?"

"You know I will."

She wrapped her arms around Sam, hugging him tightly. "If you need to talk, Sammy, just call me. Any time, doesn't matter. I love you."

"Yeah, I know." He kissed her cheek. "Love you too."

She boarded the Greyhound bus, ticket in hand, and settled down for the long trip.

When the bus pulled into Sioux Falls, she looked out the window, spotting an older, bearded man with a baseball hat. She waved excitedly, the first one off at the gas station. "Long time, no see." He greeted her with an affectionate smack on the head. "Idjit. Don't you know I have a damn phone?"

She rubbed her head. "Sorry, Bobby. We've been busy."

"Busy don't mean nothing, Eleanor. Now grab your bag and let's go."

She threw her bag in the back of his truck and hopped in. The drive to Singer Salvage Yard was a short one, and parked in the front driveway, was a stunning white 1969 Chevy Corvette Stingray. She gasped, jumping out of the truck before Bobby could park it, and ran over to her new car. "It's gorgeous!"

"Don't scratch the paint, idjit. I just had her refinished this morning."

She backed up, her grin widening. "Bobby, thank you. How much do you want for her?"

He shrugged, holding the door open for Eleanor. "A phone call every once in a while would be nice. Heard from your dad yet?"

"No. Dean and Sam are in Colorado looking for him. The demon that got Mom got Sam's girlfriend, too." She took the cash she'd set aside for the car out of her wallet, and stuck it in Bobby's emergency fund jar. "So, I think Sam might be done with college. At least for a while, anyways."

"How are you?" He asked, his brown eyes boring into her.

"I'm fine."

"Eleanor, I've known you for nearly twenty years. Don't waste our time by lying."

She sighed. "I'm just tired." He raised an eyebrow, passing her a beer. "Okay. Not 'just tired'. Dean's all gung-ho about finding Dad, but maybe we're better off without him."

"Maybe. He wasn't exactly father of the year."

"No, he wasn't." Eleanor took a sip of her beer. "I mean, I hope he's okay, but..."

Bobby nodded understandingly. "You two had it out pretty good the night Sam left."

"Yeah." She finished her beer in silence, staring out the window.

"I got wind of a job up in Portland that's right up your alley." He handed her a small stack of newspaper articles.

"Just in the last two months?" She counted nearly twenty-six missing persons reports. "Gotta be those damned fangs."

"Exactly what I was thinking." He passed her the keys to the Corvette. "You'd made good time if you start out soon."

"I'll leave in the morning." She smiled at him. "You ain't getting rid of me that easy."

"I think I've got the stuff for some chili." He rummaged around his kitchen, getting the ingredients out.

She headed to the den. Books lined the shelves and teetered precariously in stacks on the floor. An old typewriter sat on the desk in the middle of the room surrounded by newspapers and aging, open books. Eleanor plopped down, a content smile crossing her face.

She pulled out her phone and dialed her brother's number. "Hey Dean."

"Hey. Make it okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yeah. We got something fishy up here though. Took a kid when he was camping with his friends. Sam's doing some research."

"Bobby found a case up in Portland. I'm heading there in the morning."

"Yeah, well, be careful. There's stories about Portland."

She laughed. "I know. You too, Dean. And, uh, if you find Dad, let me know."

"Will do."

Eleanor was ready to leave by six the next morning. She had a travel mug filled with coffee and whiskey in her hand as she hugged Bobby. "Stay safe, kid."

"Don't worry about me." She reassured him. "I'll be okay."

"Idjit."

She backed the car out of his yard, putting the salvage yard in her rear view mirror. Eleanor cranked up the radio at the first strains of Metallica's 'Enter Sandman', pounding out the rhythm on the steering wheel as she sang along.

She made good time to Portland, even after sleeping for a few hours on the side of the road. She found a motel right inside the city limits, changed clothes, and headed to the library to research. Multnomah County Central Library was massive, standing three stories tall, and Eleanor paused on the steps, gazing at the brick building. "Awesome." She grinned, taking the steps two by two, and stepped inside.

She stopped at the service desk behind a teenager with all four Twilight books in her hands. Eleanor snorted, diverting her eyes. "What can I help you with?" The young man asked when the girl left.

"I need to use a computer, please."

He slid a half sheet of paper to her. "Just sign and date this please. It's a two hour limit."

She scrawled her name across the line, sliding it back to him. His face paled slightly as he read her name. "Ms. W-winchester, computer 4 is open." He spoke softer this time, his hand shaking as he handed her a guest pass card.

"Thanks."

She pushed his odd behavior to the back of her mind and started looking for abandoned properties in or around Portland. If her instincts were right, and there were vampires running rampant in Portland, that's where they'd be. She found a handful of good leads, printing out the addresses to follow up that night, and started digging around for something to tie the victims together. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling her out of her zone. _Got something funky up here. How's Portland?_ It was a quick text from Dean, checking on her.

 _Should be fun. Doing my research now. Dad there?_

 _No sign of him. Sammy's pissed we're staying, but there's something in the woods._

 _Yeah. It's called nature._

 _Smartass. Be careful._

 _You too._

At this point in her research, she wasn't seeing much of a connection, other that a few of them frequented a local bar. Her time was almost up and she logged off, taking the addresses with her. She handed the card back to the librarian. "Have a good day."

"You too." He replied, still watching her warily.

The first six addresses were dead ends, with no sign of anyone being on the property for a good ten years or so and too close to other houses. The last one she found was a small farmhouse a good ten minutes from the suburbs, on about 50 acres of land. Eleanor parked her car on the road, watching the house. She circled the address, backed up, and sped away.

When she got back to her hotel, she began to prepare for that night. She sharpened both off her machetes and her two daggers, loaded her gun, and headed to the bar as night started to fall. She chose a table that overlooked the whole place, giving her the ability to watch the door and the patrons. She had her gun tucked in the waistband of her jeans, giving her a bit more security if someone decided to mess with her before she left. Around midnight, a group of people, about eight or nine, walked in, glancing around. Eleanor sat up straighter, her fingers tightening around her third beer. One of the group separated, coming over to her. "Hi."

She smiled at the woman. "Hi."

"First time seeing you in here." The stranger took the seat opposite her. "Just passing through?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Vivian."

"Eleanor." She replied easily.

"I hope I'm not being too forward, but you are easily the prettiest woman in here tonight."

Eleanor smiled again, leaning forward. "Obviously you haven't looked in any mirrors."

Vivian matched her move, leaning toward the hunter. "You want to join my friends and I?"

"Sure." Eleanor grabbed her drink and followed Vivian over to her group.

"This is Eleanor." Vivian introduced her to the rest. "Keith, Victor, Danielle, Greg, and Sarah."

Part 2

Eleanor absentmindedly sharpened her machete, keeping an eye on the clock. She'd followed Vivian and her friends back to the suspicious house she found the previous day. There was ten, maybe fifteen holed up in the farmhouse less than a mile from her parked car.

7:34 a.m. She stood to her feet, holstering both blades at her sides, and quietly shut the car door. Her combat boots made no noise as she crept through the tall grass. She dropped to her knees under a window, listening intently for any sound of activity. After a good ten minutes of silence, she continued to the front door. She tried the door, hoping it was unlocked, but to her annoyance, it was not. "Fucking fangs." She grumbled, digging the lockpick out of her pocket.

She struggled with the lock, wiggling it around for nearly four minutes. "How the hell does Dean get this in two damn seconds?" She kept grumbling, trying to unlock the door.

"May I help you?"

She glanced up, her lockpick dangling in the doorknob of the now open door. Eleanor slowly stood up, smiling sheepishly. "Hi. Keith, right? Um, my car broke down about a mile down the road. Got a phone I could use?"

"No." He stared at her, his eyebrow raised. "Maybe you'd be better off if you weren't trying to break in."

"Right." She shrugged innocently. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Go away."

He started to shut the door, but she stuck her foot in the way. "No can do, dude." She whipped one of her machetes out of the holster and his head rolled out to the front porch. "Thanks for letting me in, though. That was nice."

She rolled her shoulders back and continued to the living room. "Keith? You okay, baby?"

"Oh, honey. He's fine." Eleanor responded, meeting another vampire by the sofa.

"Eleanor?"

"The Reaper." She corrected and swung her blade, and Keith's supposed girlfriend joined him in the monster afterlife.

As she moved through the living room to check out the other rooms in the house, she noticed an ajar door on her left. She turned mid step, easing the door open with her foot. A young girl, no more than sixteen, lay curled up on a thin mattress, her ankles and wrists bound. Eleanor gently shook her awake, cutting the rope binding her. "Hey, sweetie. You okay?"

The girl nodded, her face a shade too pale. "W-who are you?"

"A friend." She simply replied. "There's a car about a mile down the road. When you reach it, turn left to the main highway and get to the hospital."

"Thank you." She took off, stumbling as she regained feeling in her legs.

Eleanor turned her attention to the ruggedly handsome man leaning against the wall, his eyelids fluttering. He was worse than the girl, and Eleanor feared she might be too late for him. She set to work cutting his bonds, checking for a pulse.

"It's rude to throw out food in someone else's house." She reached for her her machete, but the vampire in the door frame had it in his hands. "Looking for this, Eleanor?"

Eleanor grabbed her other one, pointing it at him. "You can play with that one."

"You came prepared." He nodded approvingly. "That's good, but you need to be able to think ahead, like in chess."

"Think ahead? You're all predictable."

"Are we?" Suddenly, Eleanor felt someone rip her machete from her hands and his hands wrapped around her throat. "You'd make a good vampire."

"I'd cut my own head off." She snarled.

He chuckled. "You've got quite a mouth on you."

"Victor, what are you-oh." A tall, leggy brunette pulled her silk robe closer around her. "And I liked you, too."

"A new recruit, Vivian."

"Fuck off."

Eleanor kicked her leg out, connecting with Victor's crotch. He released his hold on her throat and she elbowed his sidekick, grabbing her machete. With one swing, the sidekick vampire's head hit the baseboard. Vivian rushed toward her, but Eleanor moved out of the way, backing the vampire against the wall. Eleanor pressed the blade into her throat until her head landed between Eleanor's black combat boots, spattering them with blood.

"You bitch!"

Victor backhanded her, knocking her on her ass. Her machete flew out of her hands, and he kicked her in the ribs. She heard a crack and struggled to get up, but his foot was on her collarbone. She grabbed at his ankle, her chest growing tighter with each passing minute. He slid her blade down the center of her chest, slicing through both her shirt and bra.

As she fought to get up, she heard faint footsteps heading her way. "You'll join her soon enough." Eleanor hissed.

"And you'll join your beloved mother." He retorted, shifting his weight on her chest.

The room grew fuzzy and she barely felt the graze of the blade on her stomach, but she heard the footsteps grow louder. "Victor, what are you doing?" A crisp, deep voice reached her ears and she blinked, trying to turn her head.

Victor moved his foot just enough to step on her trachea, turning his face toward the mystery man. She didn't make out his reply, however, as the lack of oxygen to her brain finally caught up and the room faded around her.

"-sure she can't move." The same voice, that deep British voice resounded in her head. "I've sedated her for now, but she'll be waking soon."

"His others?"

"They didn't make it. Rodger did, though, and I hear he's making a full recovery."

"As soon as I got wind of her sniffing around, I knew she'd be in trouble." The other male voice sounded concerned.

"She's the top vampire hunter in the lower 48, Tristan, but Victor was banking on her showing up."

Eleanor groaned, trying to move her limbs, but she couldn't. Something was holding her down. She opened her mouth to talk, but no sound came out. Her mouth felt dry and her lips chapped.

"Don't worry about talking." The voice's owner finally came into focus, and his soft gray eyes were kind. "You need rest."

"What happened?" She mouthed, and her throat hurt even just breathing.

"Victor tried to crush your throat, Eleanor. You need to go back to sleep. When you wake, you'll feel better."

Pain clouded her judgment, and she obeyed the stranger, closing her eyes. As she drifted off, she heard another unfamiliar voice, a female speaking. "I hope you know what you're doing, Alex."

"Let her rest." He commanded, his voice quiet but firm.


	3. Chapter 3

Season 1, Episode 3: Dead in the Water

Eleanor squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the pain wracking her body. She groaned, gingerly sitting up and opening her eyes to look around. The bedroom she was in was scarcely decorated, housing only a dresser and the four-poster bed she was on. The drapes around the bed were mostly drawn, except on the side closest to the door. She carefully stood up, grimacing at the few steps she took. As she paused right outside the door, she caught a whiff of bacon. Her stomach growled loudly and she followed her nose down the stairs.

"Well, good afternoon, honey."

That familiar voice, the voice she heard before, stopped her in her tracks. "Who are you?" She tried to speak, but hardly anything came out. She huffed, turning into the kitchen to find the mysterious woman.

Her braids fell to the middle of her back and she turned around to meet Eleanor. "Child, you look like hell." She shook her head, her deep brown eyes concerned. "Sit, sit, and I'll brew you up somethin' that'll help your voice."

Eleanor smiled politely, sitting down at the table. _Who are you?_ She signed.

"Kiana Chevalier."

 _Thank you for saving my life._

"Honey, I didn't do much. You'll have to wait for Alex to wake up. He's the doctor." Her strong Creole accent made Eleanor relax a bit. "And your phone's been ringin' off the hook." She tossed her cellphone to her.

Eleanor scrolled through the missed calls and texts, all from Dean. She quickly shot him a text. _I'm alive. Quit freaking out. Will call you as soon as I can._

"Already working on dinner?" Eleanor glanced up at the sound of the man she remembered talking to her. His jet black hair fell into his eyes, looking as if he'd just woke up. He offered her a surprised smile. "How're you feeling?"

 _Like shit._ Eleanor signed.

"I'm fixin' her a cup of tea, Alex. She'll be able to talk then."

He sat down across from her, his pale complexion surprisingly healthy. His eyes scanned her body, presumably checking her visible wounds, but Eleanor frowned. There was something about him that set her on edge. She edged her chair away from him as Kiana set a steaming mug in front of her. Eleanor sniffed it, wrinkling her nose.

"Don't worry 'bout what it is; just drink." She ordered.

Eleanor nodded, taking a small, cautious sip. It tasted sweet and citrus-y, much to the hunter's delight. She quickly finished the tea, relieved at the absence of pain. "Thank you." She finally spoke, her voice rough. "What is this?"

"Just a little witch's brew. Nothing to worry 'bout."

"Witch?" Eleanor's hand immediately went for her knife, but she realized she was wearing a pair of shorts not belonging to her.

"Your weapons are safe in your car, Eleanor." He spoke once again, his voice soft, with a hint of coldness underneath. She turned to him, her pale green eyes narrowing slightly. "If you wouldn't mind, I need to check you over."

"What are you?" She didn't move.

He sighed, gently lifting her to her feet. "I'm a doctor. Now, please, back to the bedroom."

She followed behind him, cursing herself for getting into this mess. "If you're going to kill me, go ahead and do it already."

He held the door open for her, his eyebrows raised. "If I wanted you dead, I would've just left you to Victor and his nest."

"So you know the fangs?"

"Unfortunately." She frowned, not saying anything. "That was rather stupid, letting them see you at the bar the night before. They tried to trap you."

"Huh." She muttered as he pushed her shoulders, making her lie down. "That makes sense."

He lifted her shirt over her head, and her hands instinctively covered her bare chest. "I had to stitch your cut Tuesday when I brought you here." He informed her. "And I've been changing your bandages for two days."

"What happened to my clothes?"

"The ones that weren't too ripped to mend were too bloody to clean. Kiana lent you some of hers."

"No bra?"

"Not in your size." She winced as he pulled the last dressing off. "Sorry. There's a bit of drainage, but that's completely normal. Luckily, the cut wasn't deep enough to cause any lasting damage."

"Well, that's good." She barely kept the sarcasm out of her voice.

He looked up at her. "I know this is making you uncomfortable, but I am only trying to heal you. We can do this with your cooperation, or I can have Kiana brew something that'll keep you out of it until you're fully healed. Your choice."

She didn't answer, but she kept her mouth shut as he changed the dressings once again. The door flung open as he was finishing up, and the young man from the library stopped short, seeing her. "Um, Alex?"

"Yes, Cole?"

"Tristan's heading to the clinic. Are you going to be there after you get done here?"

"Not tonight, unless he needs me." He tugged her shirt back down, his cold fingers barely touching her neck. "Is Lucas back yet?"

"He's not due back until this weekend."

"Good. I doubt he'd be thrilled about Eleanor's presence here." He glanced back at Cole. "Wait for me in the den."

Cole nodded, and risking one more glance at Eleanor, shut the door quickly. "Who's Lucas?"

"Ki's husband. He's not a big fan of hunters."

"Is he a witch, too?"

"He prefers warlock. And she's not a witch. She's a voodoo priestess."

"Of course she is."

"Not all non-human beings are inherently wicked."

"I didn't say-" The front door opening and shutting downstairs interrupted Eleanor.

"I'm upstairs, Natalie!" Alexander called, digging in the dresser drawers for something.

Small footsteps pounded up the stairs and a young girl, maybe around five, ran inside the room. "Hi, Daddy!" She wrapped her arms around his legs, hugging him tightly.

"Hello, sweetheart." He knelt down, hugging her back. "How was school?"

"I made a new friend."

"So did I." He kissed her on the top of her head. "Go put your backpack down, and I'll be downstairs in just a few minutes."

"Okay!"

"She's a cutie." Eleanor said quietly.

"She's a mess." He chuckled, shutting the drawer. "I'm going to put this ointment on your neck, and it's going to hurt."

She squeezed her eyes shut, her whole body tense. "Done?"

"Yes. Dinner should be ready if you're hungry."

She went back to the kitchen, where a cheesy, bubbly casserole sat in the middle of the table. Natalie sat on one chair, across from a man she hadn't met yet. "Luke, honey, can you grab the drinks?" Kiana asked from the stove.

He stood, breaking eye contact with the girl. She giggled. "You lost, Uncle Luke!"

"So I did. Rematch?"

He almost ran into Eleanor, and his light brown eyes narrowed as he brushed past her. She sat down, looking at the sunny decor in the room. "I'm Natalie." The girl offered Eleanor a bright smile.

"I'm Eleanor."

"Is Daddy taking care of you?"

"He is."

"He's the best doctor in the whole world." She said confidently. "Thank you!" She grinned at the man Eleanor assumed was Lucas.

"You're welcome."

Eleanor noticed he conveniently forgot to bring her something. "Lucas Drake, that is no way to treat our guest." Kiana admonished him, bringing her a drink instead. "I'm sorry, Eleanor. He's a complete-" She sighed. "Well, you probably get the picture."

"It's alright. You don't have to wait on me."

"Well, you're still a guest, and I'm not gonna make you get your own drinks." She sat down and began dishing out casserole to everyone.

"Aren't the others going to eat with us?" Eleanor asked curiously, glancing toward the closed den door.

Lucas snorted, shaking his head. "Are you really that stupid?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Cole and Alex are vampires, you moron." He scoffed. "And I thought you were the smart one."

Eleanor's stomach twisted and she looked to Kiana, trying to judge if he was lying. She, however, was glaring at Lucas. "Excuse me." Eleanor muttered, standing to her feet and leaving the kitchen.

She could hear Kiana and Lucas yelling in the background as she stumbled to the front porch, leaning over the railing.

She heard the door open a few minutes later and saw Alexander lean against the column. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not." She answered truthfully. "Everything in me is itching for my blade so I can kill you."

"I didn't think you'd trust me if you knew."

"Well, I don't trust you now. What's the difference?"

"You wouldn't have let me keep looking you over."

"You're damn right I wouldn't have." She hissed. "What are you playing at, healing me so you can eat me later?"

"If I was going to kill you, like I said earlier, I would have left you with Victor."

"So you brought me here for food for Cole?"

He sighed, crossing his arms. "No. I brought you here to help you."

"Why?"

"Because-" He stopped. "You were going to die, and I couldn't let that happen."

"You don't even know me."

"As a doctor, it's my duty to help as many people as I can. And I'd rather your brothers keep their distance from Portland."

Eleanor snorted. "You saved your own ass, then."

"Potentially. I'd like to stick around a few more years, to see Natalie grow up." He stated. "Tristan's a vampire, as well, and he'll be here later tonight."

"Great."

"Look, as soon as I feel you're completely healed, you are free to leave. But until then, drop the attitude. And not for me. I don't want Natalie to hear those things."

"What? That you're a fang?"

"She's already aware that I'm a vampire, Ms. Winchester." He began, his tone growing colder. "I'd rather keep my daughter from hearing derogatory comments about my kind from a prejudiced hunter, though. While you're under my care and under my roof, you will address my family with respect."

"If Lucas-"

Alexander held up his hand. "He is part of my family as well."

"And if I want to leave?"

"I wouldn't. Not for a few more days, anyway." He glanced back toward the door. "Your dinner's getting cold."

Eleanor's lip curled but she reluctantly followed him back into the house. Bobby was going to get an earful when she got back to Sioux Falls.


	4. Chapter 4

Season 1, Episode 5: Bloody Mary

"What?! Are you fucking kidding me?" Dean yelled at her over the phone. "Do I need to come get you?"

"No, Dean. I'm still under Dr. Collins' care-for another day or so." She sighed. "He's taken good care of me. I'm almost back to normal."

"You ain't ever been normal, Ellie." Dean joked. "Alright, well, I'm waiting on Sammy and we've got another case. Call you later."

"Alright. Be careful, Dean."

"Yeah, yeah."

She sat down on the porch swing, looking over Alexander's expansive front yard. Two more days, and she'd be leaving. "May I join you?" She heard Alexander's soft British voice before she saw him.

Eleanor nodded, taking the beer he offered her as he sat down on the other side of the swing. "Thanks." She shifted her gaze from the deep red liquid in his cocktail glass back to the yard.

"How are you feeling?"

"Almost back to normal." She sipped her beer, her feet tucked under her.

The tip of his fangs peeked under his top lip. "Good. Are you leaving tomorrow, then?"

She opened her mouth to say yes, but stopped. "Well, Kiana said I'd be fully healed by Tuesday, so I guess I'll leave Wednesday."

He smiled slightly, pleased at her answer. "The risk of further damage should be completely gone by then."

"Right."

The door opened again, and Natalie ran out, her ponytail swinging behind her. "Daddy!" She plopped down in between the two. "You gotta go to work?"

"Not today, sweetheart."

Natalie cheered. "Yay!"

"Now, Natalie, would you like to go somewhere?"

"Yes!"

"Then put your shoes on." She hopped down, running full speed to find her shoes. "Eleanor, if you want, you can join us. The fair's in town tonight, and I have tickets."

"For everyone?"

"Tristan's on call for the clinic tonight, so Cole's staying with him, and Kiana and Lucas don't want to go."

"Oh. Okay then." She quickly found her Converse and headed to the garage, following Alexander. "I thought your car was the Mustang outside."

"That's my everyday car. This one, however, I thought you might like to see, given your interest in sports cars." The garage door rolled up, revealing a sleek, candy apple red Lamborghini Estoque.

"What the fuck?" Eleanor's mouth fell open and she slowly approached the vehicle, her fingertips barely brushing the metal. "Oh my god."

"Do you like it?"

"I have never been this close to one before." She looked up to find a twinkle of amusement in his gray eyes. "This is not a car, Alexander. This is a work of art."

"Daddy! Can we go now?" Natalie yelled, poking her head around the corner of the garage.

"You're gonna have to let me drive it before I leave." Eleanor said, her gaze lingering on the car as they headed back to the black Mustang in the front yard. "Seriously."

"Alright. But I have to go with you."

"As long as I'm driving, I don't care." She checked Natalie's car seat to make sure she was in right before buckling herself in.

About fifteen minutes later, they pulled into a grassy parking spot in the fairgrounds. Natalie, holding both their hands, was bouncing with excitement. "I wanna ride the wheel and the horses and the spinny bears, and I wanna eat cotton candy and popcorn and-"

"What do you want to do first, Nat?"

"Uh, the spinny bears!"

"Alright." They paused at the ticket booth, where Alexander turned in the tickets for unlimited ride wristbands. "Here, let me make sure this won't come off."

She waited patiently as he fastened it around her wrist. "Come on, Daddy!"

Alexander dutifully followed his daughter, and Eleanor trailed in their wake. "I'll wait for you right here." She stopped right in front of the gate surrounding the ride.

"You're here with Dr. Collins?" A woman, looking to be close to Eleanor's age, asked curiously, coming to stand beside her.

Eleanor glanced at the other woman, her eyebrow raised. "Is that really any of your business?"

"I didn't mean anything by it." She quickly stated. "I've never seen him with a woman before. Other than Kiana, of course."

"Right." She looked back toward Alexander, a smile playing across her lips as she watched him with his daughter. "You know him pretty well?"

"He's the family physician and a good friend. I've known him since I was a baby."

"Really?"

"Don't look so surprised." The other woman chuckled. "If the US took a genuine census here, I'm certain half the people here aren't human."

"Right." Eleanor shifted slightly away from her.

"Ms. Jessica!" Natalie ran up to the woman, hugging her tightly. "Hi!"

"Hey, sweetie." She hugged the five-year-old back, smiling at Alexander. "It's good to see you among the living, Alex."

He grinned. "It is, isn't it?"

Jessica turned back to Eleanor. "I didn't catch your name."

"Eleanor Winchester."

Something flashed in the woman's dark blue eyes as they flickered to Alexander. "Enjoy Portland, Eleanor. Maybe I'll see you around."


End file.
